COURAGE sits in the hippocampus
Fear is in the amygdala but courage in the hippocampus, conclude this work from the University of Uppsala (Sweden), presented in the journal Nature Communications and which identifies specifically reckless cells in this area of the brain. These "OLM" cells, which are very sensitive to nicotine, further contribute to explaining why people smoke when they are anxious.
The OLM cells or "oriens-lacunosum moleculare" interneurons present in the hippocampus could thus explain the bravery of certain people who will experience pleasure in performing dangerous or exhilarating acts. Even within siblings, the researchers point out, there are considerable differences in risk taking. Until this work, the neural mechanisms behind these risky behaviors remained poorly understood. These neuroscientists identify, for the first time, the key role played by certain cells of the hippocampus in risk taking and anxiety.
These OLM cells
when stimulated, induce a specific cerebral rhythm in the animal, when it feels safe in a threatening environment. Manipulation of these OLM cells also helps to control anxiety and risky behaviors. It is therefore a step towards a therapy that makes it possible to quickly control the propensity to take risks but above all to treat pathological anxiety, the two traits being generally linked.
Targeting OLMs to Reduce Anxiety:
Adaptive anxiety is certainly essential for survival, but dysfunctional and chronic, it significantly impairs well-being and quality of life. Patients with anxiety disorders are frequently prescribed antidepressants that work throughout the brain, not just key areas, with side effects that can be severe. Thus, being able to target a specific area of the brain or even this very specific group of cells to control anxiety is a major advance in the treatment of anxiety and associated disorders such as depression.
Targeting OLMs with pharmacological agents:
The same team of scientists had discovered, in previous research, that OLM cells were the "guardians" of memory in the hippocampus and that these cells were very sensitive to nicotine. A finding that, in light of the latest results, may explain why people smoke when they are anxious, says Dr. Richardson Leao, a researcher at the Brain Institute of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte.
We know better the role of the hippocampus in memory and cognition than in emotions. It is only in recent years that scientists have begun to appreciate the role of the hippocampus in regulating emotions.
However, the discovery of these neurons and their role in anxiety and risk-taking could pave the way for the development of more effective anxiolytics and antidepressants with fewer side effects.
Is the hippocampus used for emotion?
The hippocampus is a key brain region in the emotional brain network and plays a significant role in social cognition and emotion processing in the brain.
What emotion is associated with the hippocampus?
Just as the amygdala is involved in implicit emotional memory, the hippocampus is involved in explicit memory about emotional situations ( Figure 1). Thus, when emotionally aroused we form semantic and episodic memories about such situations.
Why is courage called strength?
Ans. Courage is called strength when we stand up when it is easier to fall down.
What is a famous quote about courage?
Nelson Mandela: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Have the courage to act instead of react." Ovid: "Courage conquers all things: it even gives strength to the body."
Is courage a mindset?
In summary, a courageous mindset is a willingness to adapt to changes. It is resilience against what may seem like an unstoppable force with the use of creativity, intelligence, and courage. It allows us to stop playing safe so we can enjoy the rewards of true leadership and enduring success.
Is courage a core value?
Winston Churchill said that courage is the most important of all values because it is the one that makes all the others possible. C.S. Lewis took that notion one step farther by saying that courage is all of the other values at the point where they are tested.
Is courage a habit?
But the truth is that courage isn't an innate trait. It's a quality gained over time, and according to top life coach, Kate Swoboda, courage is a habit we can create through small daily actions.
What kind of strength is courage?
Bravery is a strength within the virtue category of courage, one of six virtues that subcategorize the 24 strengths. Courage describes strengths that help you exercise your will and face adversity. The other strengths in Courage are bravery , honesty , perseverance , and zest .
How do people develop courage?
A study by Carnegie Mellon University found people tend to overestimate the extent to which they will take action—for themselves or others—when they are faced with a dangerous situation. Thus, courage is built over time through repetition and experience, more than through imagination.
Is everyone born with courage?
Courage is the first of human qualities because it's the quality which guarantees the others. A lot of people believe that courage is something that you're born with. And yes, there are some people who are born braver than others, but the majority of us have to learn—and build—courage as we go along.
Is courage a feeling or emotion?
The ideal in courage is not just a rigid control of fear, nor is it a denial of the emotion. The ideal is to judge a situation accurately, accept the emotion as part of human nature and, we hope, use well-developed habits to confront the fear and allow reason to guide our behavior toward a worthwhile goal.
Can courage be trained?
Yes, it is and it's important to know why courage is needed and how it can be taught. Living fearlessly is not about being tougher than the next guy, or being immune to feeling afraid in the grips of a perceived danger, or feeling overly confident in the presence of the unknown. It is not about overcoming fear, either.
What causes lack of courage?
Sometimes people experience fear or feel like they lack courage simply because they are exhausted and the thought of doing anything more just seems too overwhelming. If you find that you're feeling overwhelmed, frazzled, or bogged down, look for ways to relieve stress.
Why is courage so powerful?
Courage gives you the ability to put aside your fear of failure and take the first steps. Courage helps you overcome the fear of rejection and engage your stakeholders. Courage allows you to attempt things that you have not tried before, despite your fear of looking foolish.
Which is better bravery or courage?
Bravery comes with not just confidence but often a lack of fear. This is different from courage, where the action is taken in spite of fear. Bravery is more likely to be an expression of sheer strength. There's also an element of giving up control that comes with bravery.
What is true courage?
True courage is possessed by individuals of conviction and restraint. It is acquired by conquering your own fears and trepidation repeatedly.
What part of the brain controls confidence?
medial prefrontal cortex
Beer et al. (2010) demonstrate that medial prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex are related to self-evaluation. In addition, researchers find out that self-esteem can be traced back to specific cerebral regions that involve emotional coping strategies, such as threaten, stress, anxiety, and fear.
Is courage inherited or learned?
Though courage is often thought of as an inborn character trait, it's actually a way of being and a practice that can be learned for coping with difficulty. In other words, courage can become a habit. Usually, we think of habits as actions, like brushing your teeth or exercising.
What part of the brain makes you fearless?
The amygdala
The amygdala is a pair of almond-shaped clusters of neurons in the brain that play a role in fear and anxiety.
What are the 4 types of courage?
Conclusion. Everyday courage, including moral, intellectual, disciplined, and empathetic courage, requires explicit practice and discipline.
What is the highest form of courage?
More courageous, says Aristotle, is the soldier who freely chooses to fight despite having no personal reason to do so besides honour and nobility. In fact, for Aristotle, this is the highest form of courage – it faces the greatest fear (death) for the most selfless reason (the nation).
What is the root of courage?
The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage had a very different definition than it does today. Courage originally meant "To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart."
Does the hippocampus control fear?
Many studies have demonstrated that the hippocampus is a fundamental structure supporting adult fear conditioning, especially contextual fear learning (O'Keefe and Nadel, 1978; Eichenbaum, 1996; Fanselow, 2000; LeDoux, 2000; Otto et al., 2000; Anagnostaras et a., 2001; Otto and Giardino, 2001; Debiec et al., 2002; Rudy ...
What behavior does the hippocampus control?
Being an integral part of the limbic system, hippocampus plays a vital role in regulating learning, memory encoding, memory consolidation, and spatial navigation.
What does the hippocampus do when scared?
The hippocampus is the brain's memory center. If it determines that the current fear stimulus is a threat but not life-threatening, the hippocampus heightens your senses to an almost superhuman degree and triggers your fight-or-flight response.
What is the seat of courage?
They are more likely to derive from the Mesopotamian- Greek belief that the liver was the seat of blood, hence of courage. According to this belief, people who had no blood in their liver were meant to have no courage: for this reason they were considered as cowards or betrayers.
What part of the body is courage?
Research shows fear is hosted by almond-shaped nuclei in the brain called the amygdala. Courage activates the brain's anterior cingulate cortex, which mentors and quiets the amygdala activity. Complete lack of fear isn't desirable, as any parent of a two-year-old can tell you.
What part of the brain controls courage?
The Courageous Brain. If you look at courage and if you look at the brain, there is one particular brain structure that plays a very important role when it comes to courage and your own performance. This part of the brain is called the amygdala.
